CHATHAM — A Chatham law firm’s former longtime office manager and her husband were ordered today by a judge to freeze any funds or assets, including a vintage car and two new cars, that they may have gained from the “misappropriation” of $1.1 million from the firm over the past seven years.

Superior Court Judge Deanne Wilson, sitting in Morristown, also ordered Beth Friedland and her husband Alex Cruz to provide within a week an accounting of the $1.1 million that law firm Maloof, Lebowitz, Connahan & Oleske claims the couple stole.

The firm filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Friedland and Cruz and sought an immediate court order barring the couple from transferring any funds or assets or selling any property or objects linked to the missing $1.1 million.

Friedland, who worked for the firm for the past 19 years until being fired in July, also was the bookkeeper in charge of the general business account, depositing money and paying the firm's bills.

The couple allegedly had been stealing money through a scheme of improperly issuing, forging and endorsing dozens of checks, falsifying bank and business records, deleting records and receiving funds without authorization, the civil lawsuit claims.

During today’s hearing, Friedland and Cruz represented themselves, without an attorney. Wilson explained that the limited purpose of the hearing was whether to temporarily freeze any funds or assets linked to the $1.1 million.

Friedland asked, “What if the funds don’t exist?” Wilson replied there could only be two reasons for that: either she and Cruz did not misappropriate the funds, or they did and have spent all of the funds.

Friedland told the judge she did not want to speak about the dispute without an attorney present, and said she plans to hire one.

In an e-mail Aug. 2 to the law firm's accountant that is an exhibit in the lawsuit, Friedland purportedly wrote, "I am willing to pay back the monies in question." Toward restitution, so far Friedland has offered her 401(k)and Cruz has sold two motorcycles that raised $14,500, the lawsuit says.

The firm has not contacted law enforcement authorities about the incident, and no criminal charges have been filed in the case, said attorney Gerard Hanlon of Morristown, who is representing the Maloof firm.

Hanlon told the judge the firm believes the thefts date at least to 2003, based on check records, and possibly earlier. Unraveling the scheme has been problematic because Friedland allegedly destroyed some records before she was fired in July, Hanlon said.

“We’re not precisely sure how much money was taken,” Hanlon said.

Wilson said, “Well, I guess I’m going to learn along the way how this happened. Most people would notice $1 million missing.”

After the hearing, Hanlon said the funds were discovered missing during a routine audit. Asked how it was not discovered sooner, Hanlon said Friedland “was a highly trusted employee. She earned a place of trust.”

Friedland told the judge she is currently unemployed and looking for a job, while Cruz said he works as a landscaper and stocks shelves at a supermarket at night.

The lawsuit alleges the couple used the funds to pay personal bills, including $38,000 to customize a vintage car owned by Cruz. The lawsuit contains photocopies of nearly 60 checks, ranging from $476 to $10,000, allegedly issued by Friedland and made out to cash, Cruz, or used to pay personal bills.

A private investigator serving the lawsuits upon the couple yesterday noticed two new cars in the driveway of their home in Landing, Hanlon said.

He also stressed that the law firm's trust account with clients' funds was not affected, as Lebowitz administers that account.